Preparations for the event begin months in advance, with workers digging huge ice blocks from the frozen Songhua River. The massive festival has several themed zones, and the main attraction is the Harbin Ice and Snow World, which covers more than 750,000 square meters and features up to 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow.

While impressive in daylight, the show really gets going at night, when the large-scale ice structures are illuminated by technicolor LED lighting.

The festival officially opened January 5, and typically runs through late February. Over one million visitors are expected to attend this year.